Sonnet 43

Line One

‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.’

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“Wake up, you lazy pansycake. It’s already 6:30 and mom’s gonna fry your ass with boiling water if you don’t get up!” I grunted to whoever was hollering at me so early in the morning – probably my brother, Luke, what with the language and his casual reference to Divergent and everything. I should tell him to slow down with all the novel-reading and just focus first on studying for HOLY SHIT IT’S ALREADY 6:30?!

Jumping right out of bed and almost banging my head on the bed post in the process, I glanced at my alarm clock – which, come to think of it, never even managed to do its job ever since I bought it – and saw that it’s still fucking 5:45.

I swear on Khal Drogo’s deathbed I am going to slaughter that beast of a brother.

“Lukas Lee Garcia, don’t you ever go near me unless you want to see your head chopped off,” I slammed the door to my room and stomped my way to the kitchen to grab something to eat. On the dining room are my parents, Patricia and Kenneth (mom was all around the kitchen since she’s helping dad get ready for work) and my damnable brother, Luke, wearing a silly smile on his face.

“Well, technically, I can’t see my head chopped off because, well, my eyes are attached to my head,” he said with that condescending tone that annoys me to no end. I rolled my eyes at him and glanced at my dad who is too busy eating his pancakes and reading the newspaper to even care about the conversation. Mom, however, was frowning at the two of us, clearly disturbed by the threats we are using against each other.

She clicked her tongue, “You have been watching too much Game of Thorns. I’ve told you several times to ditch the TV and hit the books. You two are supposed to be studying for your midterm exams,” she then turned her back on us and prepared something, hopefully for me.

“I know, mom. It’s just our way of loosening up. And anyway it’s Game of Thrones,” Luke did his obnoxious lecture voice again. I wish mom would just tell him to shut up and eat his pancakes.

“I don’t care whether it’s Thrones or Thorns or Threads, Luke. Now, eat your pancakes and don’t say a word. You’re ruining a peaceful morning,” mom looked pointedly at him while placing a plate full of perfectly-stacked pancakes in front of me. I smiled sweetly at her and then stuck my tongue out at a forlorn-looking Luke as soon as she turned her back on me.

Ha ha, bastard.

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6:00AM found Luke and me on the backseat of dad’s car, mom waving us goodbye as we head to school. Luckily (or, in dad’s case, unluckily), Luke and I don’t go to the same school – or on the same campus, at least. He’s studying engineering at the Elton Prescott Technological University while I study at the University of Wilhelm de Santa Carolina, its sister school. Both schools are located at the opposite ends of the city, however, Elton Prescott is considerably nearer to dad’s law firm so he usually drops me off first and then Luke.

Today, we’re speeding down the Central Highway at 65 because dad has a trial to attend and he doesn’t want to be late. Although I’m secretly against the idea of being early to class, I can’t help but just go with the flow. It’s either that or I take a taxi to school, in which case I may have to spend my money and, well, that’s just not an option.

“Here we are,” dad did the hand-brake thing – I’m not a car enthusiast, I’m sorry – and gave me a peck on the cheek. He also slipped something on my hands while winking at me (I was hoping for cash, but it was a credit card. Yay for Geneva!).